Mortal Online

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Hello mmorpg.com MO Forum Community!

I'm refreshed and up for some more friendly boxing over here (I needed a rest TBH and had started to lose focus and become emotional over some of the posting here) - Also the work-load has been pretty high with pop going up in the game of course in game support becomes more busy, that and trying to finalise some of the structures in Tindrem too - it's been an intensely busy few weeks! Anyhoo, thought it a good time to let you know about progress on the new Expansion.

Tindrem is looking very nice at this point. The largest structures and buildings are nearing completion. I've been working hard on the Magic Academy - one of the more impressive buildings in Tindrem and I am so, so looking forward to it being in-game so everyone can enjoy it. It's a huge lofty structure, certainly the largest in-door space in Nave so far with and a huge space that we'll be able to use for all kinds of things RP as well as directly involved in the new magic schools over time.
AI is progressing very well at this point we've been looking at some of the new features that will come with AI and they're very exciting. MO *needs* an excellent PVE side to the game - that has been lacking since launch and we're well on course to provide something - I think - not seen before in a MMO. Many new mobs are nearing completion as well as the new AI that will drive them. We started with a goodly sized number of new beasties but as we've been in slight delay coming up to the holidays this has actually meant that we'll be adding more than I was expecting for Awakenings so radical PVE change is coming and the whole team is very, very excited to see this arrive. Roving Guards and moving AI is coming along with this too - so we'll finally get to see 'real' guarding as oppose to the insta-kill that we have with Lictor at the moment. this will make keeping yourself safe far more realistic - I think it will of course make the world an even more dangerous and exciting place than it is now!
The other side of AI other than just more realistic reaction to players encountering them is the migration of herds / mobs - this is going well, but something we're really excited about is the way the AI can react to player - think your HP is too low and decide to run away from a mob? Think again, if you're fighting the wrong kind of mob he (it) may very well draw a bow and start shooting at you or indeed shooting back if that's your approach in the first place.
The Trade Tools system has required a lot of thought - we spent a lot of time thinking through how to give players the tools to trade their wares without removing the implicit danger in Mortal Online that's needed and indeed vital to keep the sense of risk - moving your lootz and wares will still be dangerous and people will of course have to travel to take full advantage of the system - thus closing the circle and providing more for the 'Wolves' in the game.
Henrik has tweeted that there will be some vids / screenshots coming along soon so I’ll send those to news@mmorpg.com when they are made available to you can all see the tangible progress.
Quick Update on the China Server: We're finalising the last of the changes needed to MO to launch in that market - but worth saying that MO China will be exclusively for China and won't be connected to the world-wide MO server. This is for them and we're looking forward to that launch too. We're having to make some changes to core MO to fit into their rules / laws and customs - skeletons (for example) are a no no in China so we've taken them out. But it's good news for both sides of the equation as new content developed will have significant benefits for both arenas.
That's all for now. Thanks for taking the time to read this brief update. As we approach the release of Awakenings there will of course be much more info coming and I;m looking forward to being able to share a lot more detail with you.

Thanks!

Theia

PS oh nearly forgoet - Veteran Reward Design is now complete, so there will be news on this too.